Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum

  Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.

  November 7th

The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”.

  December 5th

Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.

  February 6th

An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

March 6th

Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.

             Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book

              More into:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson

                       London Canal Museum

                12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT

            www.canalmuseum.org.uk   www.canalmuseum.mobi

                  Tel:020 77130836

21.When is the talk on James Brindley?

A. March 6th.    B. November 7th.    C. February 6th.   D. December 5th.

22. What is the topic of the talk in February?

A. The Canal Pioneers.              B. Ice for the Metropolis

C. An Update on the Cotsword Canals  D. Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands

23. Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames?

A. Liz Payne     B. Chris Lewis     C. Malcolm Tucker    D. Miranda Vickers

Houses fall down. Trees fall over. Large holes form in the ground. Could Alaska be sinking?　That’s what some villagers in Alaska have been asking themselves recently and scientists think they know why. Warmer temperatures may be causing Alaska’s frozen ground to thaw (解冻).

  About 85 percent of Alaska’s land surface has permafrost (永久冻结带). Permafrost supports the ground above it—including trees, houses, and roads. But why is the permafrost thawing?

  Some scientists say that human-caused pollution is leading to global warming. And most scientists agree that Alaska has been getting warmer. They say that the warmer temperature is causing permafrost to thaw in some areas. The thawing permafrost can cause problems for people, plants, and animals.

  The collapsing (倒塌)is a problem in the villages in Alaska which are built on permafrost, and some of them may have to move to safer ground, where there is no permafrost.

The Alaskan town of Glennallen saw its old post office collapse. And, according to James Walters, a permafrost expert at the University of Northern Iowa, house-moving companies have been very busy.

  “Melting permafrost can also destroy trees and forests,” Walters said. “When holes in the ground form, trees fall into them and die. This could turn a forest into a swamp (沼泽), and animals which need the forests will have to move elsewhere.”

  “The melting could cause severe problems.” Walters says, “This could take hundreds of years, but in the end Alaska will look quite different from what it looks like now.”

24. The main reason why permafrost is thawing is that ______.　

A. the temperature in Alaska is rising 

B. people in Alaska don’t take care of permafrost

C. too many houses are built on permafrost    D. people in Alaska polluted permafrost

25. The following are the results of melting permafrost EXCEPT ______.　

A. holes form in the ground

B. a forest will be turned into a swamp

C. some animals have to go elsewhere

D. more water will be needed by people and animals

26. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. When permafrost melts, houses will fall down.

B. House-moving companies are busy because their houses are in danger.

C. To stop permafrost melting is a very difficult problem.

D. Most of Alaska’s land surface has permafrost.

27. Which of the following can be used as the best title of the passage?

A. Alaska—A Frozen Land        B. Pollution and Global Warming

C. Is Alaska Sinking?             D. Alaska Is Polluted

    Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

    Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球场）in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

    There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

    Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms". They are better replacements（代替物）for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it's free.

28．Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

A. Motor racing in the desert. 

B. Cycling around a lake.

C. Playing basketball in a gym  

D. Swimming in a sports center.

29. The author uses power walking as an example mainly because        .

A. it is an outdoor sport   

B. it improves our health

C. it uses fewer resources   

D. it is recommended by experts

30. What do we know about golf from the passage?

A. It is popular in Portugal and Spain.

B. It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.

C. It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.

D. It causes water shortages around the world.

31. The author writes the passage to ________ .

A. show us the function of major sports

B. discuss the major influence of popular sports

C. encourage us to go in for green sports

D. introduce different types of environment-friendly sports

    About 70 scientists were working on a very busy project. All of them felt really desperate due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting their job.

    One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him, “Sir, I’ve promised to take my children to the exhibition going on in our township so I want to leave at 5:30 p. m.” His boss replied, “OK. You’re permitted to leave the office early today.”

    The scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual, he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch only when he \felt he was close to completion. The time was 8:30 p. m. suddenly he remembered his promise to the children. He looked for his boss but he was not there. Having told him in the morning himself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children. He reached home. The children were not there. His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive; any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him, “Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry?” The man replied, “If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about the children?” His wife replied, “You don’t know? Your boss came here at 5:15 p. m. and has taken them to the exhibition.”

    What had really happened was the boss who gave him permission was observing him working seriously at 5:00 p. m. He thought to himself: this person will not leave the work, but he’s promised to take his children to the exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them there. The boss does not have to do it every time. But once it’s done, loyalty is established.

That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was extraordinarily huge. By the way, can you boldly guess who the boss was? He was none other that the mastermind behind India’s successful nuclear weapons program, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India.

32. The scientist asked for an early leave because         .

A. he felt increasingly desperate about his work

B. he’d promised to take his kids to a show

C. the task at hand was close to completion

D. he meant to accompany his wife at dinner

33．The underlined sentence implies that the scientist thought his wife was         .

A. ready to serve dinner for him     B. dissatisfied with his coming home late

C. grateful to his kind- hearted boss  D. delighted to see him back home

34．The boss took children to the exhibition       .

A. when it was too late for the scientist to do so

B. when the man’s wife asked him to do so

C. because the scientist was absorbed in his work

D. because he also wanted to see what was on show

35．All the scientists stayed loyal to their boss        .

A. because he had power over them

B. to learn how to live under pressure

C. out of gratefulness for his thoughtfulness

D. every time he took the children to the show

Learning a second language

    Nowadays, more and more people are learning a second language. So why should we invest time in learning a second language? Is it worth it? What are the benefits of learning a second language? Let us see.

36    

  If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will help you to communicate with them better. It may also help you to make sales and to negotiate and secure contracts. Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chance of finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign business trips.

    37   

  Needless to say, being able to speak a foreign language, for example, the Japanese, would benefit you a lot when you are travelling to Japan. Being able to speak the language of the target country will save you a lot of communication trouble and inconvenience.    38  

 Education

  If you are a high school student or a college student who is interested in going abroad for further education, then you will, in all possibility, have to learn the language of the country where you wish to move to, for further studies. _  39  _

__    40  __

  Learning a second language can help in broadening one’s horizon, it can help in learning about the culture of that particular country and it can pave the way for new interests and hobbies. Not only can you enjoy forms of art and literature connected with the new language, but you can also meet new people, make new friends and develop long-lasting relationships…all on the basis of learning a new language.

A．Travel

B．Career

C.  Personal Growth

D．Challenging Yourself

E. You may be required to study a particular language at school, college or university.

F. If you are fond of tourism, then knowledge of the local language is a must-have to avoid bad experiences or discomfort.

G. In some cases or countries, being able to speak that country’s national language is a must for students wishing to pursue education in that country.